A Week with Reiko
by Keramiks
Summary: Natsume takashi ends up fifty years from the present and meets his grandmother, Reiko
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! This is my first fanfic so if my characters seem a bit OOC, please tell me immediately. I accept comments and criticisms as it is my first time writing. _

_The youkai here is my own OC, as I don't know if youkais with abilities that I wanted existed. This is just the first chapter so please be patient!_

_**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Natsume Yuujinchou... but I wish I did... _

* * *

Chapter One: Encounters

It was in the midst of one fine summer afternoon that Natsume Takashi decided to take Nyanko-sensei out for a walk. They were walking for almost an hour around the park, and the wind gently breezed around them.

"Oi, oi Natsume! Let's go buy some squid! Natsume! Squid! Squid!"

Natsume sighed. "Now, now, sensei. Dinner will be served later when we get home. You're eating too much again."

"Nani?! What are you saying?! I'm not eating too much!"

"Really, sensei, you should be dieting. How will you protect me with that fat body of yours? *sigh* And you call yourself my bodyguard?"

A vein popped in Nyanko-sensei's head. "You're the one who's not eating 's why you're so weak, and this _majestic beast _is protecting you!"

And both Natsume and Nyanko-sensei started their constant bickering.

Suddenly Nyanko-sensei stopped and sniffed at the air.

"Nyanko-sensei?" Natsume asked, a bit worried.

"Sake! I smell sake!" And Nyanko-sensei promptly ran off.

"Oi, matte! Sensei!" Natsume held on to Nyanko-sensei's leash tightly, but was forced to let go. He almost tripped but quickly regained his balance as he saw Nyanko-sensei leaping, the cat's body bouncing to the forest.

Natsume sighed again, shaking his head. _Nyanko-sensei sure is having fun drinking again._

It was five o' clock in the afternoon, and Natsume started to return home when he heard something. It was a small voice.

"—elp me." Natsume strained and tried to hear the words. "Please… someone… help…"

Natsume glanced around and heard the small voice again. "Over here. Over here." He followed the voice and was surprised to see a small, female youkai tangled in the stems of some bushes.

"Please….help…" The youkai was small, almost three inches. Her long, black hair was caught and some parts of her azure kimono were stuck on the stems and small twigs.

Natsume asked, "Are you alright?" as he gently tried to untangle the youkai's hair free. Once he loosened her hair and lifted her carefully from the bush, he laid her on top of her palm.

"Oh, thank you, human! Since you can see me, you must be Natsume-san, the one whom the others were talking about."

"Your welcome, and yes, I am Natsume. What is your name?"

"I am Yumeko. I was resting on top of the tree over there," she pointed to the tree near the bush where Natsume found her. "when a bird rested on the branch where I sat. It tried to peck me, so I lost my balance and fell."

"I see. I am glad that you are alright. Where do you live, Yumeko-san? I'll bring you to your home."

"You can just put me down here; my home resides inside the tree I was resting at. But I thank you Natsume-san! I shall never forget your kindness!"

Natsume placed her on the ground and accepted her thanks. When he made sure Yumeko-san made it safely, he made his way back home.

* * *

_This is just the beginning, though I might be slow on updating. Reiko might appear on the 2nd or 3rd chapters. Need some reviews! Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello again! This is the second chapter! This chapter is a bit longer than the first one, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem._

_I really enjoy writing Natsume's train of thought. Seriously, though, please tell me if there is some bits of it that doesn't make sense. I'll try to clear 'em up._

_Enjoy!_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Natsume Yuujinchou, except for this fanfic's plot. And Yumeko, as there's no such thing as a youkai named Yumeko._**

* * *

Chapter 2: Wish

"Tadaima, Touko-san."

"Okaeri-nasai, Takashi-kun. My, Nyankichi is not with you?" Fujiwara Touko-san, Natsume's distant aunt, greeted him.

"Well, Nyanko-sensei ran away again. I think he'll return later though." Natsume smiled. The Fujiwaras have always taken good care of him, even Nyanko-sensei. _They really are kind people. "_I'll be going to my room and change."

"Dinner will be ready soon, so hurry up." Natsume climbed the stairs and entered his room.

* * *

Natsume heartily enjoyed eating and conversing with Touko- san and Shigure-san. Dinner had been pork cutlets, and he thought how Nyanko-sensei missed a great meal. _It's getting late, though. I hope Nyanko-sensei returns soon._

After dinner, Natsume took a bath and dressed in his pajamas. He was currently doing his summer homework when he heard Nyanko-sensei enter from his window.

"Sensei!" Natsume stood up and closed the window Nyanko-sensei left open. He saw Nyanko-sensei plopped down on the floor, singing something  
about dango and squid.

"Oi, Natsume!" Nyanko-sensei greeted him red-faced and smelling of sake. "Come here, come closer."  
Natsume kneeled down, picked Nyanko-sensei up and settled him on his lap. "Do you have something to tell me, Sensei?"

"I knew it; you really are different from Reiko. You're too soft, Natsume! If I told Reiko to do that, she'd kick me and tell me that I can't command her. Really, Natsume, you shouldn't be too trusting to youkai! Learn from Reiko! Instead of returning those names, you should've become stronger and put more names there!"

"Geez, sensei, you're too drunk. It's rare for you to talk about my grandmother, let alone praise her too much."

"N-n-nani?! I'm not drunk! Those youkai I had a drink with were talking about how different you were from Reiko, and how they felt oppressed when Reiko's with them! Now that I look closely, you really do look like Reiko! Same hair, same eyes, but the difference in strength is overwhelming! Reiko doesn't even need a bodyguard! And you're always getting caught up in those youkai affairs, even though you're weak. You really are one troublesome kid."

"Hai, hai, sensei, you really are too drunk. You should take a nap." Natsume settled the white cat on the floor near his bed. He stood up, turned off all the lights, and also went to sleep. "Good night, sensei."

Nyanko-sensei was murmuring something about butterflies.

* * *

Natsume lay down on his bed, and was thinking about what Nyanko-sensei told him earlier. _Reiko-san must've been really strong to inspire terror on the smaller youkai. Even Nyanko-sensei's in awe. I wonder, what was Reiko-san like with humans? I never found out if she had relatives taking care of her. I can't help but think how lonely she must be to be always with the youkai. What were her dreams? Did she have someone like the Fujiwara's? Has she been always alone, with bullying youkai the only way to ease her loneliness? Where did she stay, if humans cannot accept her? Did she wonder how to make friends? Is she really like me? Or is it that even though she's strong against the youkai, she wants to have a human friend to understand her? I am indeed very blessed to have friends like Tanuma and Taki, whom I can tell about the youkai._ Before Natsume went to drift into sleep, he whispered.

"I wish I had a chance to meet Reiko-san."

* * *

Natsume was wandering around, the whiteness of the fog almost blinding him. _Where am I?_ He kept walking in circles, but not stumbling. _What is this place? Is this the work of a youkai?_ Natsume almost lost hope in finding some way out when he saw a great tree in the distance. He went nearer and saw a tree that strangely looked familiar.

"Natsume-san!" said a small voice.

"Yumeko-san? What are you doing here? What is this place? Is this your doing?" Natsume realized that the tree he saw was a larger version of the tree where Yumeko-san lives. He saw the small figure of Yumeko-san sitting on one of the branches of the tree.

"Natsume-san, I really can't thank you enough for helping me in my time of need. I simply want to return the favor."

Yumeko leapt from the branch to the ground, and Natsume saw that she also grew in size, and as she landed, she was now standing as tall as Natsume.

"You see, Natsume-san, youkai of my kind can grant wishes, but our lifespan is too short. When I was stuck in those bushes, I thought that it was surely my end, but you have saved me! That is why, Natsume-san, I can sense that there is something that is bothering you. Perhaps I can be of assistance." Yumeko held up her right hand and touched Natsume's head. She closed her eyes.

A stream of images whizzed in Natsume's head and he took a step back. Those images were memories of youkai whose names were returned. The memories of those youkai with Reiko.

"I see." Yumeko muttered. She moved her hand back and let it fall to her side. "You want something that has to do with Natsume Reiko. Would you like to tell me what you wish?"

Natsume was surprised. _This youkai can grant wishes? But could I trust her? Nyanko-sensei told me that I was too easily caught up by the youkai's whims. Should I decline her offer? I don't think she's like the others, though. And if I refuse, she might do something dangerous._ Natsume's silence was broken by a soft chuckle.

"Don't worry, Natsume-san! I'll explain everything to your white cat later! And you can trust me; I simply just want to return the favor. This is all that I can do, though, that is why I will insist that I let you grant your wish."

Natsume smiled. _I think there is no harm in trusting this youkai. Maybe, with her help, it might be possible._ He cleared his throat. "Well then, Yumeko-san. I would accept your offer of thanks for helping you in your time of need. I don't know if I have something to wish for, though. I think I already have everything that I could possibly have; maybe even more than that."

"I think, Natsume-san, that you still have something that you want to fulfill. Something related to Natsume Reiko-san, I suppose. That is what your heart told me earlier."

Natsume remembered what he thought about before going to sleep.

"If you can really fulfill wishes, then I have something that I hope would be granted."

"If it's in the realm of my power, then I can do it."

Natsume breathed deeply. _I hope I made the right choice in trusting her._ "I wish I could meet my grandmother, Reiko-san."

The tree before them slowly glowed, until a bright light enveloped their already-white surroundings. Yumeko smiled.

"And with that said, I shall fulfill your wish. You can now meet Reiko-san."

The bright light further enveloped their surroundings, erasing everything, even Yumeko-san, from Natsume's view. Everything disappeared from the white light.

* * *

Natsume woke up with the wind gently shaking some leaves that landed on his face._ Leaves?_ Natsume slowly stood up, smelling the earth beneath him. He glanced around the area where he was; he was in a forest.

The forest looks familiar, albeit younger than he remembered. _I know this forest. Why am I here?_

Natsume decided to walk around in search of a way to get out. He realized that he was wearing his school uniform. _Why am I wearing my school uniform? Is this Yumeko's doing? If so, then I must be…_

His train of thought was suddenly stopped when a figure suddenly appeared from the trees on his right. The figure crashed on him and they both fell down, the figure on top of Natsume.

"Aaargh! It hurts! What kind of person are you, walking in the middle of a forest?!" shouted an angry female voice.

Natsume winced in pain as he opened his eyes. He saw a girl, around sixteen years old, wearing her school uniform. The girl had the same amber-colored hair and eyes as him.

_It can't be…_

Suddenly a big, black, bulky-looking youkai wearing an old kimono and a mask appeared. The girl immediately stood up, shouted "Outta my way!" and ran, the youkai chasing her, calling. "Come back here, Natsume Reiko! I will not lose to you!"

Natsume was in shock. Somehow, this was how he had met his grandmother, Natsume Reiko.

He stood up, the pain from the crash almost gone, and ran while following the youkai.

* * *

_Thanks again for reading! Criticisms and reviews are most welcome, as long as they don't sting that much._


	3. Chapter 3

_Domo! Chapter 3 is out! This chapter is almost as long as the earlier two chapters combined. _

_Reiko's exclusive appearance is here! Though I don't know if I got her character right._

_Again, **I do not own Natsume Yuujinchou... Midorikawa Yuki does.**_

* * *

Chapter Three: Bond

Natsume was breathing heavily. _How can she be so fast? Am I really that weak compared to my grandmother? _His knees were shaking already, but he still was not catching up. Finally the youkai halted. Natsume quickly sprinted. He was already on the verge of giving up.

To his surprise, the youkai was suddenly blown away. Natsume hid behind the trees to avoid colliding with the youkai. He took a glance and saw that Reiko had swung a big, folded paper fan that sent the youkai flying. "Ha! You lost!" Reiko exclaimed. She went towards the place where the youkai landed. "As per our agreement, you must write your name on this piece of paper." she told the youkai as she took a strip of paper from her pocket.

* * *

Reiko winced. She found herself eating dirt on the forest floor. Earlier, she had made an agreement with the masked youkai that if she could defeat it, it'll give its name to her. And that time had already come.

_I remember handing out that paper already. But that youkai... didn't keep his promise!_

As soon as she let her guard down, the youkai sent her crashing on the ground.

"Ha! Foolish human! Did you think that I had agreed with your petty contest? I do not honor promises from lowly humans like you! Now, you shall serve as my supper!" The youkai readily approached Reiko.

_I have to run away!_ But as she tried to stand, a sharp, throbbing pain hit her left leg. "Damn! I must have hit it earlier!" She couldn't stand, let alone fight, as her folded fan was knocked out of her hand when she was attacked.

The youkai was already towering in front of her.

Suddenly a voice resounded in the forest. "Get away from her!" It was then followed by the appearance of a certain, amber-haired boy.

* * *

"Get away from her!" Natsume had shouted. He quickly dashed to Reiko and punched the masked youkai. The youkai was knocked out immediately.

"Let's get away from here, quickly!" He picked up Reiko, carried her on his back, and dashed away.

Reiko was very surprised. This was the first time this has happened to her.

A human had helped her. Furthermore, this human can see youkai!

"Wait!" she shouted. "There's an abandoned house nearby. Just follow my directions; I'll point them."

* * *

They had arrived at the run-down house where Reiko had led him. The roof had almost caved in, and the house looked really abandoned. He sat her down gently on the steps of the entrance and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Thanks." she nonchalantly answered. _She really is stubborn, just like what Nyanko-sensei said._ Natsume kneeled in front of her and examined Reiko's injury. "It's only a twisted ankle." he said. "We have to wrap it up to lessen the pain." He went inside the house to search for some cloth when Reiko told him that she keeps some bandages in a box found at a corner.

While Natsume searched for the box, he noticed that there was a small pillow in one corner, a stack of smaller _bento _boxes piled on top of each other, and few bottles of water scattered on the floor. _I think my grandmother frequents this place. Is this the only place where she can stay at? Does she have no home and no one to care for her?_ Natsume put his thoughts aside when he saw a larger box. He found some clean strips of cloth for bandages, as well as a few cotton balls and some antiseptics. _My grandmother really gets hurt a lot. Does it come from fighting youkai, like today, or other reasons as well?_ He hurried to the entrance where she sat and proceeded to wrap her left leg with the loose strips of cloth.

* * *

_Heh, he looks like a girl. _Reiko examined her rescuer as he was bandaging her leg. _Now that I look closely, we kinda look alike. His hair and his eyes are like mine; if he grew out his hair, he'll look just like…me?!"_

He stood up. "All done. Why don't you get some rest, Reiko-san? I think I'll also stay here for a little bit."

Reiko saw the boy's face register a small surprise, just like her. "How do you know my name?" she asked. A few seconds of silence passed by. "Hey, you can see youkai, right?" A lot of questions raced in her mind. "Are you human? Just what exactly are you?" The boy looked alarmed, and tried to searched frantically around. Which made Reiko all the more annoyed and curious. "Hey, are you listening? I said, who are you?"

* * *

Natsume held his breath. _Why did I slip like that? _He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. _I think I should tell her the truth. Nothing good comes out of lying, and she's bound to find out sooner._ He let his breath out slowly. He opened his eyes and looked into hers. The same amber-color that greeted his, asking, her eyebrows arching, waiting for an answer.

"I came from the future, fifty years from now. I am Natsume Takashi, your grandson."

Reiko's jaw dropped from surprise.

He continued. "I wanted to meet you, so when a youkai that I saved offered to let me meet you, I accepted." Natsume smiled. "Did I surprise you?"

Reiko crossed her arms and closed her eyes, her brows furrowing, deep in thought. When she opened them again, she also smiled and laughed, a light, warm chuckle. Though Natsume also seemed a bit puzzled, he also shared a laugh with Reiko. "Nothing surprises me in this world anymore. If anything, I feel kinda relieved. To think that I'll be having a grandson in the future… ha!" she started to laugh again.

Natsume laughed again. He can't help it; his grandmother's laughter was contagious. He sat down next to her on the steps of the abandoned house. Somehow, this situation seems nice and peaceful.

However, their laughter was short-lived when a screeching sound interrupted, followed by the appearance of a fork-tongued youkai.

"Natsume Reiko, I will defeat you!"

* * *

A mere ten minutes later, Reiko had another name inside the Yuujinchou. It all happened so fast. The fork-tongued youkai's face was met by the face of a baseball bat which came out of nowhere. It turns out that Reiko had her bat near the entrance and quickly attacked the intruder without even standing from her seat. Natsume was utterly speechless.

"Too bad, you're already defeated. Now, write your name on this piece of paper, and quickly, or risk having your face kissing this bat again." When the youkai was done, she took the paper and told the youkai to disappear, promising that she'll call it soon.

Fifteen minutes had passed since the youkai went away, but Reiko was still seething. She thought that she could actually experience a moment of peace. "Really, youkai never stop trying to defeat me. But too bad for them, I'm really strong."

"Reiko-san." Natsume wanted to ask her about the Yuujinchou, but she stopped him with her hand. "Just call me Reiko. In turn, I'll call you Takashi. Even though I'm your grandmother, we're almost at the same age in this time period, and we're both Natsume as well. What do you want to ask, Takashi?"

"Well… Reiko, why did you make the Yuujinchou? How did you think of something like it?"

"I don't really remember how I thought of something like this. The youkai always bother me and I really can't ignore them, since I'm the only one who can see them. Maybe that's why I make deals with them. I think I started using paper since I tend to forget the names of the youkai that I defeated. Anyway, what happened to the Yuujinchou in the future?"

"I inherited it. Youkai keep coming after me, and they always mistake me from you. We really look alike, don't we? Anyways, I end up returning their names, even though Nyanko-sensei keeps getting annoyed." Natsume laughed.

"What did you say?! My hard work, my servants, they'll have their names back?! How dare you!" And she playfull attacked Natsume by lightly nudging him with her bat.

* * *

They talked for hours, about the youkai that they met, though most of the youkai Natsume mentioned were forgotten by Reiko. _Geez, Nyanko-sensei was right. Reiko is forgetful of almost everything._When it turned dark, Reiko ordered one youkai who resided in the abandoned house to bring them food. _Even the youkai who lives here is now her servant. Just how may youkai did she defeat? Did she defeat them all by hitting them with her bat?_ Natsume was still sitting on the steps of the entrance, while Reiko was inside the house, still ordering the same youkai around.

Natsume looked up at the stars. He didn't realize that it was already evening. He was almost eleven hours in the past, and he spent it with Reiko. _It was really fun, talking to Reiko. She also must have been really happy to talk to me too. It has been a long time since I had a talk with someone that I can speak freely with. When I talk to Natori-san, Takuma, and Taki, I can't tell them about the Yuujinchou. Did Reiko have someone like them to talk to? Or is it that this is the first time that she had spoken to another human being? _His train of thoughts were interrupted with Reiko calling him.

"Takashi! Let's have dinner! I had this fellow bring us food!" She held up a plastic bag with _onigiri_ in it. Natsume stood up and went inside. "Hai!"

* * *

They had dinner in silence. For the first time, Reiko enjoyed eating dinner. Usually, she ate dinner alone, sometimes with the company of Madara or other youkai, but eating with another fellow like yourself was fun, too.

"Takashi," Reiko called Natsume's attention as they were done eating. "Stay here for the night. I mean, you came from the future, right? How will you go back? In the meantime, I wouldn't want my 'grandson' to stay outdoors as youkai food. I had Momo (the youkai she was ordering around) bring some pillows and stuff."

"Arigatou, Reiko. To be honest, I haven't really thought much about planning what I'll do tonight, but you have saved me the trouble." Natsume smiled again. Reiko really liked seeing Natsume smile. His smile was warm, and made her feel at peace.

"Anytime,Takashi. Now, let's go get some sleep."

* * *

The cool air made Natsume shiver slightly. The moonlight from the wrecked roof illuminated the place. The house was big and spacious. He was lying on one side of the house, while Reiko was on the other side. Natsume's day earlier was tiring, and he was feeling weary. Slowly, he drifted to sleep, seeing the moonlight lastly before he went to slumber.

* * *

"How did it go, Natsume-san?"

Natsume opened his eyes and saw Yumeko, sitting on one of the branches of her tree. She was still wearing the azure kimono, and she was back in her small size.

"It was fun, Yumeko-san. I'd like to thank you for letting me meet Reiko, for letting me meet my grandmother. "

"Don't worry Natsume-san! You'll be meeting Natsume Reiko-san again, and for a week! Recently, I have discovered the capacity of my power, and I found out that I can help you meet Reiko-san for a week."

"You don't have to do that, Yumeko-san. You have done far more than what I asked for."

"None of that, Natsume-san! You can be stubborn, too. Anyways, I can assure you that nothing bad will happen in the present." Yumeko and her tree was slowly enveloped in light again. "You also don't have to worry what will happen in the present. You see, every hour you spend in the past, only fifteen minutes will be spent in the present, so you don't have to worry about anything at all. I want you to enjoy your time with Reiko-san, Natsume-san. I'm sure that she needs you the most in her harsh times. Until we meet again."

A flash of bright light enveloped Natsume's surroundings yet again.

* * *

Natsume woke up with the morning sun greeting his wake. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. _Where am I?_ He looked around his surroundings and realized that he was still in the abandoned house where he spent the night before. He looked at the opposite side of the house where Reiko was sleeping. All that greeted him was the glare of the sun's light._ She couldn't have been walking around with that leg of hers, right?_ He stood up, and looked inside the house.

_Not there._

He also looked around outside the house. _She's not here, either. Where is she?_

* * *

_And that's it! I'll try to update chapter 4 soon. Again, i wold like some reviews Criticisms and remarks, welcome!_


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm really sorry! It has been over two months, I think... really sorry for the late update! Anyways, here's chapter 4..._

_DISCLAIMER: **Natsume Yuujinchou is created by Midorikawa Yuki-sensei, not me!**_

**_UPDATE: I just re-read this, and I realized that I forgot to put line breaks! I'm really sorry for my own stupidity! Don't worry, I made no major changes in the chapter, except for the line breaks, I hope it didn't confuse anyone.  
_**

* * *

Chapter Four: Lost and Found

"Reiko? Where are you?"

He threaded through the forest, frantically hurrying. _What if another youkai attacked her while she was sleeping? _ _Can she fight with her injured leg? Where did she go?_ The forest leaves rustled, sunlight streaming the forest with a yellowish glow. It was morning.

Natsume woke up to find his grandmother, Reiko, gone. He was worried; though she can fight youkai easily, her leg was still healing. Natsume hurried towards the outside of the forest.

_She must have gone to a store, or maybe she challenged another youkai. _He shook his head as he sprinted. _Reiko is also being chased by other youkai. They might have something to do with her disappearance._

Suddenly he was thrown back with such force. He accidentally bumped into an ugly, fat youkai. Natsume stumbled and crashed to the ground. The youkai turned around and saw him.

"What's this? A human? My, if it isn't Natsume Reiko! At long last, we meet! I shall challenge you into a fight!"

And Natsume found himself running again.

* * *

Reiko was staring at reddish, catlike orbs when she opened her eyes. She blinked once, trying to register what was happening, and why her head was lying on Hinoe's lap instead of her hard, lumpy pillow back at the ruined house. Hinoe, apparently, saw her awake, and squealed with happiness.

"Reiko!" Hinoe wrapped her arms around Reiko, much to Reiko's annoyance. Reiko pushed away and rose. She saw a wide, grassy expanse that was clearly different from her surroundings back at the old house. She looked around and found herself under a small tree.

"What am I doing here?" She held her head. _My head hurts. Aah, I feel dizzy. _"Did you bring me here, Hinoe?"

"I visited that ugly, run-down house where you were staying last night, Reiko. There was a man, a man!" Hinoe's skin shuddered at the thought of the man she saw sleeping on the other side of the house. "I would've cursed that human for getting too close, but I remembered that you didn't like involving yourself with them, so I rescued you from that man's grasp!" Hinoe went near Reiko, and tried to wrap her arms around her, but her eyes frowned when she saw Reiko's bandaged leg. She hadn't noticed it earlier when she carried Reiko away from the house.

"Reiko! Your pretty leg! It's hurt! Did that man hurt you? I should have known! I'm going to curse that rotten human to death! How dare he injure my lovely Reiko!?"

"C-Calm down Hinoe!" Reiko sat down. "I'm fine. A youkai did this. And…" _I think she was talking about Takashi. Should I tell her about my grandson from the future visiting me? No, for now I won't tell anyone about Takashi's existence. _"There's no man there. You might've seen another youkai."

"But, Reiko, he smelled just like you, a human! Furthermore, I'm sure it was a man!"

"Don't you believe me, Hinoe?" Reiko was getting irritated. She didn't understand why Hinoe adores her, but she doesn't like it when Hinoe fawns over her. She looked at her with sad, hurt eyes to make her believe in her act.

"Well…" Hinoe looked confused, but when she saw the look in Reiko's eyes, she practically melted. "Of course I believe you, Reiko! I think I must be seeing things, since I was a bit drunk last night."

Reiko breathed a sigh of relief. When she made a move to stand up, her left leg still hurt, though it was slightly better than yesterday.

"Do you think you know something that might ease muscle pain, Hinoe? I could use a bit of help right now."

_It might take days for this leg to heal. I don't like relying on youkai, but I'll need Hinoe's help. I hope she knows something._

"Hmm… I think I remember some youkai that makes medicine, but I don't know if it'll work on humans. If you would permit me, I could go fetch some medicine, as you are in no condition right now." Hinoe smiled. _It was rare for Reiko to rely on someone, especially to youkai like her, but who knew that she can be soft sometimes? How cute!_

"Um… Hinoe… if it wouldn't trouble you, can you get me some? I really am not in the right condition right now." Reiko gestures toward her left leg. "Just this once, okay? I'll… try to repay you somehow…" Reiko flustered a bit. Hinoe really found this adorable.

"I'll do everything for you, of course, Reiko!" Hinoe really wanted to hug her right now. "Reiko… you're too adorable!" _Aah… I can't help it, I really wanna hug her! _It took all of Hinoe's restraint to seize Reiko and squeeze her to oblivion. Instead, Hinoe asked, "If I can get you some medicine, will you…. um…" she twiddled her fingers. "Will you let me hug you? Just once?" Hinoe braced herself for Reiko's retort, but all she heard was a light chuckle.

"A hug? Why not? It's a promise then, Hinoe! Oh yeah! Before everything else, can you help me get breakfast?" Reiko's stomach rumbled in response. "I'm a bit famished myself."

"Of course. Anything for you, Reiko."

* * *

Natsume was panting heavily. _It's too early to be chased by youkai… I haven't even eaten anything yet…_

He was hiding in some bushes. He peeked for a little bit. The bush where he was at was the only available hiding place. If he ever went further outside, he'll only run towards a grassy space of a small hill, with only a few young trees scattered around. It will take all of his energy to cover the distance and run towards the other side, back to the forest.

He heard some rustling noises, which were followed by the youkai's incessant call of Reiko's name. When he felt the youkai quite close by, he held his breath.

The youkai stopped right in front of the bush where he was hiding. The youka sniffed the air.

"I can smell you, human! You can't get away from me! I will defeat you, claim the Yuujinchou, and eat your flesh!"

Natsume clamped his hand to his mouth, terror slightly flashing in his eyes. _Don't worry; he won't see you. He won't find you._ He assured himself over and over again. He closed his eyes.

The youkai then heard louder rustling noises on another bush further than where he was.

"Wahahahaha! I found you now, Natsume Reiko!" Immediately, the youkai went to the noisy bush. When he was certain that the youkai can't hear him anymore, Natsume inhaled deeply, and ran.

* * *

Five minutes later, Hinoe appeared with a small bag with four pieces of anpan and some apples (apparently, those were offerings but Reiko was used to eating those). Then Hinoe left again, this time to get medicine. Reiko then busied herself with eating her breakfast.

_I wonder if Takashi's awake yet. I hope he's still asleep; he sounds like a worrywart. I guess I might save him some food. _And with that she left two pieces of anpan and two apples, placing them in the bag.

The sun was a bit high up in the sky. _I'm guessing it's almost nine o'clock already. _Reiko was fiddling with a blade of grass while sitting underneath the tree. When she tried to stand up, her leg throbbed slightly, making her curse under her breath. _I might strain this leg further. _She sat down again, staring at the bright, blue sky. _Aah... I'm getting bored..._

She checked her pockets, hoping to find anything that might ease her boredom. Instead, she found her folded paper fan, much to her dismay. _What am I gonna do with this thing? _

She glanced at the fan she was holding. She swung it slowly at first. At every swing, it increased in power and speed, until finally, the fan can cut grass when she striked the ground. Reiko made a small, triumphant smile.

She rested her head on the trunk of the tree, staring onto a speck of dust that caught her eye. Slowly the speck of dust grew bit by bit, until Reiko can discern a familiar shape. _Wait a minute... that's not dust, that's Takashi!_

Sure enough, it was Natsume, his light brown hair shining in the sun, his head hung low, and he was running rowards her direction. _Why is Takashi running? Don't tell me... is he being chased by youkai?!_

Suddenly a big, ugly youkai appeared right behind Takashi, and he seemed to speed up more. _Takashi's in trouble! _Without thinking of anything else, Reiko sharply stood up, wincing at the pain that stabbed her leg. Holding her fan up high, she waved it and shouted.

* * *

"Takashi! Over here!"

Natsume's ears perked up at the soft yet clear sound of Reiko's voice. He glanced around and saw Reiko waving her fan, calling him to come closer. Natsume's legs hurt, his knees shaking. He took a glance behind him and saw the youkai still pursuing him.

_I think it hasn't noticed Reiko yet. I'll take this as my chance!_

"Reiko!" Natsume called out to his grandmother. He saw her take a stance like a baseball player ready to bat. He immediately ran towards her direction. When he reached Reiko, he made a turn.

The youkai, seemingly confused as to the appearance of another human, slowed down. Then Reiko swung the fan right in the youkai's face, making it stop dead in its tracks and drop down unconscious.

Natsume stopped, heavily gasping for breath. He fell to his knees, closing his eyes. His heart hammered in his chest.

"Thank... you..." he said between gasps of air. A few minutes passed until Natsume's breath went back to normal. He slowly stood up and saw Reiko holding a piece of paper on her other hand, and was already telling the youkai to get a move on.

Natsume quickly approached his grandmother. "I'm really sorry about that, Reiko! I shouldn't have made you move too much; you're leg's still healing, right?" And Natsume proceeded to fuss about Reiko's injury, his face painted with worry.

A vein popped on Reiko's forehead. "Aarrgh, stop that, Takashi! Don't worry about me like that! I'll be fine, I've been doing this for a long time already." Her face relaxed for a bit. "So take a rest for a bit. Have you eaten yet?"

Reiko gestured towards the tree where she sat down earlier. When she and Natsume were propped down, she handed the anpan and apple she saved earlier. Natsume readily accepted and ate with gusto.

Reiko smiled at Natsume. The boy looked quite weak and gangly, but she can sense his inner strength.

"Hey Takashi, let me ask you something." Natsume, already finished with the anpan, nodded. "Umm... hmm... how do I ask this..."

After a moment of contemplation, she looked at Natsume in the eyes and asked:

"Do you think we're umm... you know... kind of the same?"

* * *

_Ughh... I've been really busy these past weeks... I think I'll be even more busy in the upcoming weeks so please bear with me! (I still exist in something called the real world, of course) _

_And sorry if the characters are OOC, and I haven't beta-ed it so I think there's some minor errors. Just ask if something here gets quite confusing._

_As always, reviews, criticisms, suggestions, questions are most welcome!_


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